What to look for with daycare?

Ok. I am thinking that when I start working again it may be too much of a strain to try and solely work round DH's shifts and that to take some of the load and stress away it might be better to put DS into childcare for perhaps a couple of half days a week.
I'm wondering for all of you that have put quite a young bub into daycare what do think are the most important things to look for.

So far all I am thinking is to drop by unannounced so that I get to see what they really operate like.

Thanks

is one or two carers for the   little ones are they in the same room as the older ones ummmmmmmmmmmmmm hope that helps

Thanks for all the advice Jaz that's great. Am really in two minds about using DC, on one hand in would be nice to get a small break especially when I add work into things but on the other hand i'm really reluctant to hand him over to people I don't know.
Will help if I can really check them out.

It's pretty much already been said but definately thing slike ensuring good teacher child ratios especially for the little ones.. ours i think hired more staff so the bubas could have more one on one care when they had a few there at a time, ours also had a variety of little playgyms etc and baby stuff that they could alternate so that babies weren't stuck under the same things, they'd hang different things on them too, spend time with them. They gave them the same opportunityies as bigger kids, ie sitting in a bouncer next to the kids at mealtimes so they felt included and once old enough having rusks etc or fruit at that time so they learnt routines.

Sleeping arrangements.. check those definately. For ours it is someone specifially on sleep room, they spend the day in there basically, if there's a little baby asleep they are in there, and the baby is checked on every 2 mins, as in they go up and check to see if baby is breathing etc. once they are older, and at end of the day, they have a timer set so that anyone sleeping is checked on at least every 3-5 mins.

Another thing to check is their policy etc on how babies are fitted in. The one thing we had a problem with when ayja started at 11 weeks old, was fitting in routines. I had her nicely in an hour-turn-around routine, and i would go sometimes to feed her and she'd just been put down or be sleeping etc and she'd miss my feed, or be still awake and too tired to feed etc, because she was a bby that would cry a little to get to sleep for a couple of mins they'd not put her to bed cos she might wake others.. really i felt (probably biased) that the little baby should really be the one that has it's needs put a little further ahead.

Jaz has covered lots though, definately look for signs that the children there are generally happy and listened to and kept stimulated.

The other thing i think is important while they are still little is that the really little ones are able to be separated.. ours had a little string of fences (kinda like theones that they use as building/road contruction sites lol) that they used to cordon off the bubba's area so that the babies could see and hear what was going on, but so that toddlies couldn't just go and hurt them and do things to them all the time.

When I went looking with Andrew my main thing was the interaction. I was really dissapointed with one daycare in Palmy who as soon as we walked in the door and meet her she told us their dissapline policy first (WTF?!?! Andrew was only 5 months old) I was really dissapointed and have since told a lot of people in Palmy not to go to that daycare. The daycare we chose to but Andrew in showed us everywhere and we were introduced to all the staff (which was really nice) and even thou we went to look at the nursery we were showed the pre school as well.

A good time to go is about 10am, that time there is activities going and its not a time of the day that the children would be eating or sleeping so you can check out those area's.

Cuppatea, I have been wondering the same things. I just flicked through a couple of books lately that have me doubting the whole idea too and whilst I dont mean to put you off maybe you might like to read them for another perspective. They were Raising Boys and Raising Babies. Both by same author (sorry cant remember his name) but they say that its not the greatest for boys to be in childcare under the age of 3 as they suffer seperation anxiety more than girls. Then they get agressive and get labelled as such.

Got me thinking that it did make some sense but I also wonder if a half day here or there would be ok. Like you I have no family nearby to drop him off too and dont like the idea of leaving him with friends as I dont want to impose.

Maybe its me that would have the seperation anxiety I was hoping to work around DH's work so he could be home when I work but apart from a Saturday I cant really do a week day.

nzpiper wrote: Maybe its me that would have the seperation anxiety

Yes I think that is half my problem as well, I don't want to entrust him to anybody else, cos he's mine, all mine!!!!

Oh easy peasy then

both of mine are in daycare now and both love it. Kobe has been in since he was 1yr, i thought it was important for him to socialise with other kids away from me plus i had to go back to work and we have never had any seperation anxiety problems at all. Addison went in when she was 5 months old but I found it really hard and she just wasnt happy so took her out. She started again a few weeks ago because everytime we went to get kobe she wanted to stay and play and so thought maybe its time for her to go herself and she loves it. this morning there were no tears or anything.
Cuppatea which preschool would you be looking at? Which area are you in?

I'm in Kaiapoi, I'm not sure yet, there are about 5 that I know of in town. One is very new and is right at the end of my road so was gonna have a look at that. But with it being new it wouldn't have a running history, all the staff will be new etc. Another one was advertising taking kids on a casual basis which would be good for us as each week will be different depending on DH's shifts. But if they are having to advertise this it makes me wonder why. Does no one want to use them?
There is actually a preschool right across the street from me, but I think they only take 3 & 4 year olds, have never seen kids younger than that going in there.